Student Research

The UNM College of Nursing's undergraduate and graduate education programs are highly ranked by U.S. News and World Report. We provide the foundation for our graduates to provide compassionate, evidence-based care at the local, state and national level, and to contribute to the scientific base of nursing. We are here to grow the next generation of nursing scientists. 

Working with our primary clinical partner, UNM Health System, we offer complex hands-on learning experiences at a variety of excellent facilities, including:

These nationally-recognized facilities also provide opportunities for clinical research and collaboration with health care practitioners and scientists from every sector of the medical arena.

Undergraduate Participation in Research

BSN Honors Program

Pre-licensure BSN students in the Freshman Direct-Entry, Albuquerque or Rio Rancho Campus (sophomore entry) options are eligible for the BSN Honors program.

The BSN Honors program is designed to provide students with unique opportunities to enrich their BSN education through active engagement and immersive, mentored experiences in a broad range of nursing scholarship. This includes nursing research and leadership skills, translating evidence into nursing practice, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Learn more & apply to the BSN Honors Program

Graduate Research and Scholarship

PhD Students

Under faculty guidance, PhD students conduct independent research culminating in a dissertation. Along the way, they develop research expertise relative to a specific population, setting, or human response to health or illness. Research foci generally align with faculty areas of expertise. This prepares graduate students to enter the tenure track or work in the health care industry as a nurse scientist.

PhD students are encouraged to publish peer-reviewed articles and present their research at professional conferences.

Explore the PhD Program

DNP Students

Doctor of Nursing Practice students complete a practice-oriented scholarly project. It involves the identification and resolution of a practice problem through the scholarship of application. This project requires practice inquiry and is grounded in a specific practice setting with a specific population.

Scholarly projects vary. Here are a few examples: 

• Evaluating patient education programming
• Ethical decision-making in nurse leaders
• Using electronic medical record systems to improve patient outcomes and practice quality improvements
• Enhancing screening, health and safety education and referrals for intimate partner violence by public health workers
• Improving executive leadership
• Evaluating health policy within a specific setting

Explore the DNP Program